Drying form



y 1934- w. w. SIBSON ET AL ,932

DRY I NG FORM Filed May 22, 1930 mm WM BY A TTORNEYS.

1' bination and arrangement of Patented May 2 2, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRYING FORM Walter W. Sibson and John delphia, Pa., assignors Drying Machinery Company,

W. Dennis, Philato The Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pa.,

1 Claim.

- This invention relates to drying forms heated by electricity for the purpose of drying and shaping textile articles, such as hosiery for example.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an electrically heated drying form including main and auxiliary removable heating elements each embodying coils of differing capacity, and one of which is arranged and controlled so that it will produce greater heat than the other or others, according to the drying temperatures desired.

Subsidiary objects are to provide a form, of the type referred to in the preceding paragraph, embodying provisions for venting moist gases and fumes to the avoidance of short-circuiting due to condensation; means to accommodate seams whereby the operation of creasing rights and lefts is expedited; also the provision of an electrically heated drying form which is simple and cheap to manufacture, and withal one that is highly efficient, in the distribution of its heat and desirable for the purposes had in view.

The nature and advantages of our invention will be better understood when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawing, said invention residing in the construction, comparts as thereafter claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig. I is an elevation of one practical embodiment of our invention as adapted to a hosiery dryer, with parts broken away to expose otherwise hidden features; and,

Fig. II is a diagrammatic view showing the novel heating elements, in expanded relation, with the means by which predetermined drying temperatures are controlled.

Referring more in detail firstly to Fig. I we have illustrated a flat stocking drying form 1, the same being of integral structure with a coextensive hollow 2, and open at the welt or bottom end 3 of said form. The hollow form 1 of the typified character may be conveniently and inexpensively constructed by uniting counterpart dished plates, along their meeting edges, such as by fusing or welding, and thereafter suitably grinding or finishing the joined edges perimetrically. One or both of the back edge faces of the form 1 is, or are, conveniently beveled or otherwise machined to provide a groove 4, extending from the heel 5 along the back of the leg to the welt end 3, to receive the usual seam of full-fashioned hosiery; and it will be readily understood that by provision of such a groove at both back sides of the form 1, drying and creasingof rights or lefts is accommodate and expedited. On the other hand,

if the form 1 is only destined to board and dry either right or left hosiery, the groove 4 need only be provided on one side thereof; while the frontal edge 6 of said form is suitably beveled on both faces to an acute angle, which ensures a very desirable finish being given the boarded hosiery.

Such a hollow form 1, as above described, lends itself readily to the edgewise insertion of two, or more, self-contained companion heating elements, respectively designated comprehensively as 7 and 8. As shown, the heating element 7 is of lesser capacity than the element 8 and extends from the welt end 3 to the frontal ankle region thereof; whereas the element 8 corresponds generally to and fits co-extensive within the rear portion of the form 1 to include both the leg and foot portions.

Each heating element 7, 8 comprises a thin insulate core 9 of sheet fibre or mica, consti- Q tuting a mounting for a plurality of flat or ribbon Wire coils l0 and 11, 12 and 13, preferably of differing resistance capacity, respectively; while the element 7 is conveniently provided with a current conductor or dividing tap 14 forming a common tap for the resistance coils 10, 11. In other words, the heating element 7 embodies two coils 10, 11, with a center tap 14; while the heating element 8 embodies two coils 12, 13, in series. Attention is also drawn to the manner in which the respective heating elements 7, 8 are designed; and more particularly to that of the element 8 which extends up into the heel and toe portions of the form 1, without any joints or hinged portions, whereby a more uniform dis- 9 tribution of the heat is obtained.

Both of the heating element cores 9 are, respectively, engaged between sheet insulation, affording perimetric enclosure thereabout, and are secured together at intervals by rivets or the like, not shown, so that when both of said elements are inserted in the form 1 they do not overlap at any point to the effective avoidance of short circuiting.

To control the respective heating elements 7, 8, and vary the drying temperatures of the form 1, We employ a selective control switch 15, which may be inserted within the line connection or incorporated in the basal portion of said form. This control switch 15 conveniently in- 0 cludes contact points 16, 17, 18 and 19, whereto the terminal end of the coil 10, the current conductor or tap 14, and the joined terminal ends of the coils 11 and 12, by a tap 20, are respectively connected: while the point 19 serves as an open circuit contact or switch stop, A bridging contact finger 21, which may be manipulated in any suitable manner, is arranged for movement over the contact points 16-19 to respectively couple in the various coils 1013; while the current conductors are designated 22, 23.

With the contact finger 21 of the switch, 15 in the position shown by Fig. II, it will be apparent that the several coils Iii-13 are connected in series with the conductors 22, 23, with a minimum drying temperature of the form, 1 resulting. Movement of the finger 21 clockwise into engagement on the contact 17 cuts out the coil 10 and will be attended by connection of the coils 11-13 in series with a proportionately raised drying temperature accorded the form 1. Further movement, in the same direction of the finger 21 on to the contact 18 results in the coils .12, 13 alone remaining in series with the conductors 22, 23, while the heating element '7 is out out entirely, and the form 1 given its highest drying temperature. Thus it will be readily understood we provide for three different heating temperatures, to accommodate differing weights and texture of the articles to be dried.

In addition to the foregoing we provide the form 1 with one or more vent holes 24 in the toe region which allow the gases and fumes incident to drying damp articles to escape, and thereby avoid short circuiting between the coils 1013; said vent hole or holes also serving to prevent formation of air pockets in the form 1, while enabling the latter to heat up more rapidly. Obviously vent holes 24 may be provided in other locations of the form 1 to assist drying in the vicinity of the reinforced portions of hosiery, or other articles for which said form is adapted.

From the foregoing it is thought that the merits and advantages of our invention will be fully appreciated, while we desire it understood that in'describing in detail one particular form thereof, it is not intended to limit said invention beyond the terms of the following claim or the requirements prescribed by the prior art.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is:

A heater for hollow drying forms for hosiery comprising main and auxiliary separately removable co-planar heating elements each embodying continuous resistance coils with associated contact points, said main element as a unit occupying in part the hollow of the leg portion with extension through the ankle region to the toe portion and embodying two coils of the greater heating capacity, and the auxiliary element occupying the other portion of the hollow leg section of the form substantially to the ankle region and embodying two coils with a dividing tap, all of said coils of the main and auxiliary elements being connected in series, in combination with switch means controlling connection of the coils of both elements in sequential relation to determine different drying temperatures. V

WALTER W. SIBSON. JOHN W. DENNIS. 

